Van Niekerk returns to an evolved dressing room

When Dane van Niekerk returned to international cricket at Newlands on Friday, her wife, Marizanne Kapp, was in the dressing room. When Sune Luus was bowled with 15 balls left in South Africa's innings, Kapp would have been nervous—her wife was about to bat for the first time in over two years.

Van Niekerk hadn't played an international match since September 2021, sidelined by a broken ankle and failed fitness tests, which led to an angry episode over her conditioning and her stepping away in March 2023. She returned not as captain, a role she held in 2021. Since then, leadership passed to Luus and then to Laura Wolvaardt.

As Luus and Wolvaardt shared a record 176-run partnership for the second wicket, it was a reminder that the team had moved on. Yet, there was still a place for Van Niekerk. Luus welcomed her return but noted the team's evolution: "We have new values and a whole new structure, so it's for her to adapt to that and the new brand of cricket we're playing. But I think she's done that brilliantly."

Wolvaardt also expressed support: "She's a very smart cricketer. She has a lot to offer the team, more than her skill. It's nice to have her back." When asked about having a former captain and her wife in the same dressing room, Wolvaardt said, "It's not a challenge. They're very good at keeping their professional lives professional."

Van Niekerk brings energy to the group. "She's normally vocal and loud on the field," Wolvaardt added. "We can definitely use that. She's quite the joker as well."

Van Niekerk acknowledged the team's successes without her, including three World Cup finals. "I've been very vocal about how chuffed I am for the team," she said. "Obviously I wish I was there. Who wouldn't?" She embraced the changes: "A lot of things have changed since I was part of the team, and for the good. The intensity is through the roof."

On the field, Van Niekerk contributed an unbeaten 21 off eight balls, including four fours. Luus scored 81 off 51 balls, and Wolvaardt's 115 off 56 balls—a South African T20I record—featured a hat-trick of international hundreds. South Africa posted 220/2, their highest total.

Ireland struggled, bowled out for 115 in 18 overs, with Luus taking 4/22 after learning she would open the bowling minutes before the match.

Van Niekerk reflected on her return: "I want to prove a point and show people I'm still Dane van Niekerk. But the main thing is to prove something to myself."